294  AT CUCAO. [chap. xiv. 



pig-driver driving his pigs. We started with a light breeze 

 against us, but yet reached the Capella de Cucao before it 

 was late. The country on each side of the lake was one 

 unbroken forest. In the same periagua with us a cow was 

 embarked. To get so large an animal into a small boat 

 appears at first a difficulty, but the Indians managed it in 

 a minute. They brought the cow alongside the boat, 

 which was heeled towards her ; then placing two oars under 

 her belly, with their ends resting on the gunwale, by the 

 aid of these levers they fairly tumbled the poor beast, heels 

 over head, into the bottom of the boat, and then lashed her 

 down with ropes. At Cucao we found an uninhabited 

 hovel (which is the residence of the padre when he pays this 

 Capella a visit), where, lighting a fire, we cooked our 

 supper, and were very comfortable. 



The district of Cucao is the only inhabited part on the 

 whole west coast of Chiloe. It contains about thirty or 

 forty Indian families, who are scattered along four or five 

 miles of the shore. They are very much secluded from the 

 rest of Chiloe, and have scarcely any sort of commerce, 

 except sometimes in a little oil, which they get from seal- 

 blubber. They are tolerably dressed in clothes of their own 

 manufacture, and they have plenty to eat. They seemed, 

 however, discontented, yet humble to a degree which it 

 was quite painful to witness. These feelings are, I think, 

 chiefly to be attributed to the harsh and authoritative 

 manner in which they are treated by their rulers. Our 

 companions, although so very civil to us, behaved to the 

 poor Indians as if they had been slaves, rather than free 

 men. They ordered provisions and the use of their horses, 

 without ever condescending to say how much, or indeed 

 whether the owners should be paid at all. In the morning, 

 being left alone with these poor people, we soon Ingratiated 

 ourselves by presents of cigars and mat^. A lump of white 

 sugar was divided between all present, and tasted with the 

 greatest curiosity. The Indians ended all their complaints 

 by saying, "And it is only because we are poor Indians, 

 and know nothing ; but it was not so when we had a 

 King." 



The next day after breakfast, we rode a few miles north- 

 ward to Punta Huantam6. The road lay along a very 

 broad beach, on which, even after so many fine days, a 

 terrible surf was breaking. I was assured that after a 

 heavy gale, the roar can be heard at night even at Castro, 



